Support for lighting standards



June 6, 1967 M. FERNANDEZ 3,323,765

SUPPORT FOR LIGHTING STANDARDS Filed July 6, 1965 F/ 51 4 INVENTOR M4 UR/C/O FERNANDEZ BY W M ATTORNEYS United States Patent M 3,323,765 SUPPORT FOR LIGHTING STANDARDS Mauricio Fernandez, Rockvale, Tenn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Harsco Corporation, Harrisburg, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 6, 1965, Ser. No. 469,506 7 Claims. (Cl. 248-44) This invention relates to the supporting and mounting of hollow poles such as lighting standards used in area, street and highway lighting and for traflic signals, and more particularly to a single anchor bolt base plate mounting for such poles which allows said poles to be selectively rotated, adjusted and otherwise oriented to properly locate the street lamp or traflic signal relative to the street or highway pavement served thereby.

In modern street lighting, lamp fixtures utilized as the lighting source have designed into the unit predetermined light patterns for varying elevations to attain specific lighting distribution patterns and levels of intensity. Critical to attainment of these predetermined characteristics for a specified elevation are the horizontal and vertical alignment of the lamp relative to the pavement, and the alignment of the pole and bracket arm relative to the curbline or shoulder of the pavement. Proper selection of the pole length, pole diameter, and bracket arm with routine care in levelling the polesupporting foundation resolves most problems associated with attaining Within tolerances the desired elevation for the lamp. The problems associated with horizontal and vertical alignment of the lamp fixture relative to the pavement or generally readily resolved by rotatively adjusting the fixture within the bracket arm head, and by shimming the poles, respectively.

The problem of properly aligning the pole and bracket arm unit relative to the pavement to assure the proper light distribution pattern over the intended pavement surfaces is not so readily resolved. Most conventional metal poles, whether pedestal mounted or mounted directly upon a plain anchor base plate, are generally vertically supported by a plurality of, usually four, upstanding anchor bolts embedded into the concrete foundation at the time of pouring of the foundation. These anchor bolts are generally lengthy steel rods, with the top three or four inches of its length which protrudes above the uppermost surface of the foundation being threaded, and its embedded bottommost three or four inches being bent at 90 degrees to its vertical length.

The placement of these several anchor bolts relative to each other and relative to the curbline or shoulder of the pavement at present constitutes critical alignment factors. conventionally, when these four anchor bolts have been embedded in the concrete foundation, they are placed relative to each other such that a series of straight lines drawn around their periphery would describe a square. Where the foundation has been poured adjacent to a straight curbline or shoulder, the alignment of the anchor bolts relative thereto is such that the two sides of this imaginary square starting at the anchor bols furthermost from the curbline are perpendicular to the curbline. Should the adjacent curbline be curved, a line drawn from the center of the foundation to the point on the curbline nearest this center point would be perpendicular to a tangent drawn through the curbline point; and the two sides of the bolt square starting at the anchor bolts furthermost from the curbline and proceeding toward the curbline would be parallel to the aforementioned perpendicular line originating from the center of the foundation.

Some poles are manufactured which aliow for a pole rotation of to 15 degrees about their vertical axis to compensate for minor misalignments; and similarly some 3,323,765 Patented June 6, 1967 bracket arms may be rotated 5 to 15 degrees about the pole axis to correct for minor misalignments. However, because anchor bolt alignment is critical and the above described means of compensating for misalignment errors is very limited, the contractor must exercise extreme care in setting the foundation and the anchor bolts relative to the curbline to minimize alignment deviations to within these compensable limits. Such time expenditures are reflected in both the contractors work schedule and the total cost of the installation. And even where due care has been exercised, serious errors do occur in alignment which may not be capable of remedy other than repouring of the foundation, a grave time-cost consideration.

The present invention is intended to relieve the contractor of the foregoing costly and tedious time-consuming alignment considerations. This is accomplished by providing a means whereby the hollow pole may be installed upon a pole-supporting foundation about a single anchor bolt around which the pole can be rotated as needed for bracket arm alignment purposes, this single anchor bolt also serving as the sole means of supporting the pole in a substantially vertical position upon the foundation.

It is the major object of the invention to provide a novel hollow pole mounting arrangement wherein the lower end of the pole is provided with a base plate securable to a foundation in an optimum position.

it is another object of the invention to provide a rigid hollow pole anchoring fixture comprising a base plate rigid with the bottom of the hollow pole, having a centrally located plate opening to accommodate a single foundation mounted anchor bolt, the pole and base plate unit being freely angularly rotatable about the pole axis for bracket arm and pole face alignment purposes. In one embodiment the opening is directly in the base plate, and in another the opening is in a plug disposed within the hollow pole above the base plate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel hollow pole installation utilizing a single anchor bolt and base plate structure which is swifter and less expensive than installation of the hitherto conventional four anchor bolt set while permitting adjustment to optimum location, such installation being so simple as to relieve the installing party of all anchor bolt alignment considerations relative to the curbline and shoulder pavement.

Other objects of the invention and novel features will become evident or will be specifically pointed out by the following description in connection with the appended drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a horizontal section taken through a hollow metal pole according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view in section taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1 showing the lower end of the pole and its mounting;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section taken through a hollow metal pole according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevational view in section taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

With particular reference to FIGURES l and 2, the present invention is disclosed as embodied in a street lighting or trafic signal standard assembly comprising a hollow pole 10 made of metal, wood or a suitable plastic material. Pole 10 is a hollow metal structure of octagonal cross-section adapted to be mounted upon a concrete or like solid foundation l1.

Disposed across the bottom of pole 10 and secured thereto as by a weld 13 extending continuously around the outer pole periphery is base plate 12. Base plate 12 is annular, the diameter of its central opening 14 being less than the inside diameter of the bottommost partof the pole so that when the base plate is welded to the bottom edge of the hollow pole, the pole edge rests evenly upon the flat upper mating surface 15 of the base plate, thus forming an annular flat rim 16 within the pole interior. The lower flat surface 17 of plate 12 is parallel to plate surface 15 and flush with the flat horizontal top surface 19 of foundation 11. V

A plug 18 made preferably of the same material as base plate 12, is disposed within the pole interior and formed with an annular outer ledge 20 seating directly upon rim 16. The body of plug 18 is of larger diameter than opening 14, but diametrically opposite notches 21 formed in the wall of opening 14 enable the plug to be inserted edgewise through plate 12, after the plate has been secured to pole 10, and then turned within the pole to seat on rim 16. The outer diameter of the plug body is sufliciently less than the adjacent inner pole diameter to assure that the pole and base plate unit are freely rotatable relative to the plug.

Plug 18 is formed with three unthreaded openings 24, 25 and 26 which are dispersed along a diameter, the inner opening 25 being central and the outer openings 24 and 26 being provided for accommodating electrical conductors 28 extending upward from duct passages 30 embedded in foundation 11 to supply electrical current to the lamps (not shown). An anchor bolt 34 is solidly embedded within the foundation 11 and extends vertically and upwardly from surface 19. Anchor bolt 34 is preferably a steel rod, its diameter and length depending upon the size and weight of the pole. The lower end 35 of anchor bolt rod 34 is bent at right angles within the foundation to form an anchor. The vertical upper end 37 of anchor bolt rod 34 is threaded and projects through plug opening 25. An anchor nut 36 mounted on the threaded rod portion and bearing upon a washer 38 overlying opening 25 secures the pole assembly tightly to the anchor bolt and foundation.

A conventional handhole opening 40 in the face of the pole closed by a detachable cover plate 41 provides access to the interior of the pole and thus to the anchor bolt and nut 36 and to the various electrical components and connections normally found in the footing of the pole.

This anchor construction completely eliminates the burdensome problems associated with aligning the conventional used set of four anchor bolts. A contractor employing the present invention need not concern himself with alignment of a set of anchor bolts relative to the curbline to assure pole and bracket arm alignment relative to the pavement. All he need do is embed and vertically center the single anchor bolt within the foundation. Then the pole and welded on base plate are placed upon the foundation, plug opening 25 accommodating the upstanding anchor bolt portion 37 and openings 24 and 26 accommodating the electrical conductors 28. The pole is freely rotatable about its vertical axis and about the relatively stationary plug. Thus alignment of the bracket arm and pole face relative to the pavement and curbline to assure proper distribution of the light pattern over the intended surfaces becomes a relatively simple matter as it is merely necessary to rotate the pole until the projecting bracket arm holding the lamp is aligned with the curbline or pavement shoulder. Once the bracket arm is aligned, anchor nut 36 is passed through the handhole opening and tightened on the threaded upper end of rod 34. When nut 36 is drawn tight it pulls plug 18 solidly against the base plate assembly onto the foundation.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4. This assembly differs essentially from the unit disclosed in FIGURES 1 and 2 in that no retaining plug is utilized, and in that the pole is not freely rotatable through the entire 360 about the single anchor bolt but may be limited to an angular range of rotation.

This angle as will appear can be a function of the arclength of base plate openings accommodating the elec-.

trical conductors extending fromthe foundation. -Where overhead wiring is utilized in this construction there is no need, for base plate openings for underground electrical conductors and so the pole and base plate unit would be fully rotatable through 360 about the single anchor bolt. For purposes of disclosure, base plate conductor openings are shown to indicate the preferred shape of such openings.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, a hollow metalpole 42 of octagonal cross-section is welded to the upper fiat surface 44 of disc-like baseplate 46 which ismade of a heavy metal such as steel. Base plate 46 is formed with three openings, a central opening 48 which to pass freely the single anchor bolt 34, and two arcuate outer openings 50 and 52 which will accommodate the electrical conductors. The flat parallel underside 45 of plate 46 rests flush on upper surface 19 of foundation 11 and a circular Weld 43 secures the base plate to the pole. A hand hole 54 with detachable cover 56 provides access to the interior of the pole and to the anchor nut 36. Thus, once pole 42 is positioned upon the foundation with the single anchor bolt projecting up through opening 48, the pole may be rotated about the anchor bolt through a range angle of X degrees, this angle being determined by arclength of the electrical conductor openings 50 and 52.

By positioning the pole face to point toward the curbline when setting it upon the foundation, the X degree pole rotational limitation, shown here as a 45 limitation, though not restricted to this size, is more'than adequate to permit ready alignment of the bracket arm relative to the curbline and pavement.

In both embodiments the flat surfaced base plate is reversible, that is either face may abut the flat bottom edge of the pole, and when the nut 36 is drawn tight the other fiat face of the plate has wide area tight seating on the foundation.

Though the foregoing description has been devoted primarily to metal lighting standards with bracket arms such for example as shown in Daniels Patent No. 3,045,783, it is understood that the advantages of the present invention are readily applicable to poles without bracket arms, or with detachable bracket arms, to trafiic signal pedestals, and to non-metallic poles.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. Means for mounting a hollow pole upright in a desired position comprising in combination a base plate having a generally central opening and a flat upper surface surrounding said opening in flush end abutment with the lower end of said pole, means permanently securing said base plate upon said lower end of the pole to provide a unitary assembly wherein the bottom surface of said base plate is adapted for rotary seating flush on a rigid foundation, said assembly being adapted to be mounted upright on said foundation with a vertical anchor rod rigidly upstanding from the foundation to pass freely through said base plate opening, and an access hole in the side of said hollow pole for access to fastening means on said rod for clamping said base plate against rotation tightly onto said foundation in a selected position of rotation about the vertical axis of said pole.

2. In the mounting means defined in claim 1, a plug centrally apertured to receive said rod movably and rotatably mounted within the pole upwardly of said base plate, said fastening means when tightened pulling said plug against said base plate.

3. In the mounting means defined in claim 2, said plug being formed with an annular bottom ledge seating a rim on the base plate within the lower end of said pole.

4. Means for mounting a hollow pole upright in a desired position in combination with a concrete or like solid foundation comprising, an annular base plate having a generally central opening and a fiat upper surface surrounding said opening in flush end abutment with the lower end of said pole, means permanently securing said base plate upon said lower end of the pole to provide a unitary assembly wherein the bottom surface of said base plate is adapted for seating flush on a rigid foundation, a plug rotatably seated on said base plate within the lower end of said pole and having an aperture in alignment with said opening, a vertical anchor rod rigidly upstanding from the foundation to pass freely through said base plate opening and said plug aperture, and fastening means on said rod above said plug for clamping said plug against the base plate and said base plate tightly onto said foundation in a selected position of rotation about the vertical axis of said pole, and an access hole in the side of said hollow pole for access to install and remove said fastening means.

5. The pole mounting means defined in claim 4, wherein said rotatable plug is formed with at least one aperture for passing a conductor up into the interior of said hollow pole.

6. Means for mounting a hollow pole upright in a desired position in combination with a concrete or like solid foundation comprising, a base plate having a generally central opening and a flat upper surface surrounding said opening in flush end abutment with the lower end of said pole, means permanently securing said base plate upon said lower end of the pole to provide a unitary assembly wherein the bottom surface of said base plate is adapted for rotary seating flush on said rigid foundation, a vertical anchor rod rigidly upstanding from the foundation to pass freely through said base plate opening into the interior of said pole, fastening means on said rod within the lower end of said pole for clamping said base plate against rotation tightly onto said foundation in a selected position of rotation about the vertical axis of said pole, and an access hole in the side of said hollow pole for access to install and remove said fastening means.

7. In the mounting means defined in claim 6, said base plate being formed with an aperture of predetermined arcuate extent for passing an electric conductor up into the interior of said pole while permitting predetermined orientation of the pole about its vertical axis.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,128,294 8/1938 Gage 52296 2,331,488 10/1943 Madsen 1O8150 3,045,783 7/1962 Daniels 52292 3,197,928 8/1965 Frye 52157 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,360,355 3/1964 France.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. MEANS FOR MOUNTING A HOLLOW POLE UPRIGHT IN A DESIRED POSITION COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A BASE PLATE HAVING A GENERALLY CENTRAL OPENING AND A FLAT UPPER SURFACE SURROUNDING SAID OPENING IN FLUSH END ABUTMENT WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID POLE, MEANS PERMANENTLY SECURING SAID BASE PLATE UPON SAID LOWER END OF THE POLE TO PROVIDE A UNITARY ASSEMBLY WHEREIN THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID BASE PLATE IS ADAPTED FOR ROTARY SEATING FLUSH ON A RIGID FOUNDATION, SAID ASSEMBLY BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED UPRIGHT ON SAID FOUNDATION WITH A VERTICAL ANCHOR ROD RIGIDLY UPSTANDING FROM THE FOUNDATION TO PASS FREELY THROUGH SAID BASE PLATE OPENING, AND AN ACCESS 